The Approval We Already Have
Have you ever caught yourself wondering if God is pleased with you? Maybe you mentally replay your week—how often you prayed, how much you served, whether you “measured up”—and then decide if you’re in His good graces.
If so, you’re not alone. Many of us, even after encountering Christ, slip back, even despite ourselves, into the exhausting habit of trying to earn God’s pleasure. It’s as if His delight is on a sliding scale—high on days when we “do well,” low when we fail.
But the gospel tells a different story.
From before you took your first breath, before you ever lifted a finger in ministry or good works, before you could possibly succeed or fail—God irrevocably set His affection on you. He’s not waiting for you to reach a certain spiritual standard to approve of you. In Christ, He already has.
Living from God’s pleasure means letting this truth become your starting and continuing point—not your finish line. It means waking up each morning knowing His heart is already for you, that you are already fully accepted, valued, and delighted in.
That kind of security changes everything. It dismantles fear, frees us from striving, and opens the door for real transformation.
And beloved, this isn’t just a nice thought. It’s the reality of who you authentically are and Whose you are.
God’s Pleasure Is Already Yours in Christ
And in love He chose us to be his very own, joining us to Himself even before He laid the foundation of the universe! Because of His great love, He ordained us, so that we would be seen as holy in His eyes with an unstained innocence. For it was always in His perfect plan to adopt us as His delightful children, through our union with the Anointed One—so that His tremendous love that cascades over us would glorify His grace—for the same love He has for the Beloved, Jesus, He has for us, and this unfolding plan brings Him great pleasure. – Ephesians 1:4–6 (TPT, 2020, emphasis added)
Notice when God chose you and joined you to Himself—before the creation of the world.
Before you had the chance to mess up or impress. Before you prayed your first prayer, gave money to the poor, served in any capacity, or preached your first sermon.
God’s choice to adopt you was “in accordance with His pleasure and will.” That means your identity as His beloved isn’t a reluctant decision—it’s His joyful one.
In my blog No Black Sheep in God’s Family, I shared how God’s family is made up of beloved sons and daughters—without exception. There are no “less-than” children in His Kingdom. You can’t fall into a category that makes you unloved, unwanted, or unpleasing to Him. We need to remember that WHO we are is what pleases Him, even when what we do or don’t do may grieve Him. You cannot behave your way into His love and acceptance, nor can you behave your way out of His love and acceptance. We are simply not powerful enough to change God’s opinion of us!
This is the foundation of living from God’s pleasure: knowing that your place in His heart was settled before time began, and nothing you do can change it.
When you know this, you stop working for love and acceptance and start working from love and acceptance. You stop trying to “earn” favor and begin to enjoy the favor you already have.
Why Striving for Approval Keeps Us from Rest
The tragedy is that so many of us live as though God’s pleasure is tenuous—as if it can be lost with one wrong move. This leads to a life of striving:
- Striving to pray enough
- Striving to serve enough
- Striving to “be good enough” to stay in His favor
But here’s the truth: striving doesn’t bring you closer to God—it blinds you to the closeness you already have.
When Jesus was baptized, the Father declared from heaven:
“This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” – Matthew 3:17 (ESV)
Think about that—Jesus hadn’t started His public ministry yet. He hadn’t performed miracles, preached sermons, or gone to the cross. And still, the Father’s voice rang out with delight over Him.
That same voice speaks over you in Christ.
In my blog Walking Confidently in Your Identity, I talk about the power of living from this unshakable truth—that your worth and calling flow from being God’s beloved, not from proving yourself. When you rest in His pleasure, fear begins to lose its grip. You’re no longer driven by the pressure to perform; you’re led by the pull of His love.
And that’s when true transformation happens—not because you’ve worked harder, but because you’ve finally allowed His love to work in you.
Living from God’s Pleasure Heals Your Identity
When we live as though God’s approval must be earned, our identity is fragile—always at risk of shattering under the weight of our own imperfections. But living from God’s pleasure more and more restores us to the truth: our worth isn’t determined by our performance; it’s anchored in His perfect love and His performance!
There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. – Romans 8:1 (ESV)
That means your identity is NOT “failure,” “not enough,” or “disappointment.” It’s “beloved child,” “chosen one,” “favored one,” and “heir.”
The Bible is full of people God delighted in before they proved themselves. Think of David—called “a man after God’s own heart” (1 Samuel 13:14) long before he became king, even while he was still an overlooked shepherd boy. Or Mary, greeted as “highly favored” (Luke 1:28) before she ever carried the Son of God.
When you start living from God’s pleasure, you can lay down the performer’s mask. You no longer have to curate an image to be acceptable. You are free to live honestly, vulnerably, and fully as the person God created you to be.
Living from God’s Pleasure Changes How You See Others
One of the most beautiful byproducts of living from God’s pleasure is that it transforms the way you view the people around you.
From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh… Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. – 2 Corinthians 5:16–17 (ESV)
If God’s delight in me isn’t based on my perfection, I can stop holding others to a performance-based standard. I can release the need to judge their worthiness and instead see them through the same lens of grace that God uses with me.
This is where Kingdom relationships flourish—when Love is the starting point, not the reward for meeting expectations. It’s how unity grows, forgiveness flows, and communities are healed.
When we see others through the truth of God’s pleasure, we stop competing and start championing. We stop measuring and start celebrating. We stop withholding and start giving freely—because that’s what Love has done for us.
How to Practice Living from God’s Pleasure Daily
Living from God’s pleasure isn’t just a theological concept—it’s a daily choice. Here are some simple rhythms that can help you stay rooted in this truth:
- Start the day with His voice. Before you check messages or tasks, take a moment to hear Him say, “You are My beloved, in you I am well pleased.”
- Replace self-criticism with God’s affirmation. When you catch yourself thinking, “I should be doing better,” pause and replace it with His truth: “I am chosen, accepted, and loved—right now and that frees me up to do better, more and more.”
- Release the scoreboard. Stop measuring your spiritual life by what you’ve accomplished. Instead, measure it by your connection with Him.
- Practice rest without guilt. Rest is a declaration that you trust His work in you more than your work for Him.
- Extend the same grace to others. Let your words and actions reflect the truth that God’s pleasure over people isn’t earned—it’s given.
Beloved, God’s pleasure over you is not contingent on your behavior. It’s not dependent on your mood, your mistakes, or your milestones. It’s rooted in His unchanging nature—and He’s the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8).
When you truly believe this:
- You stop striving and start abiding
- You stop hustling for worth and start living from it
- You stop fearing you’ll lose His love and start enjoying the fullness of it
This is the heartbeat of the gospel—that the Father’s approval is already yours in Christ. You are not on probation. You are not auditioning for His love. You are the one He delights in, right now.
Relearning and resting in this is a process and often we need more help. If this is you, I encourage you to check out my “Marked by Love” book. It is chock full of revelation and Love Encounter Breaks to help you grab ahold of that revelation that you are irrevocably marked by Love! I have a multitude of testimonies from the original and now revised and expanded version of how this very personal book has changed peoples lives!
One such review:
If you’re here, reading these reviews, wondering if you should buy this book…the answer is a resounding YES! Be prepared to be uplifted and encouraged when you meet God (Love) in a way that you probably haven’t before. As you learn to surrender your agendas and your preconceived ideas about God, allow yourself to be enveloped by the astounding goodness of God through the pages of this beautiful book. As Catherine gently walks you through “Encounter Breaks,” she invites you to practice receiving from the One who IS love. This book will have you saying “Yes” over and over as you sit with Love and soak in all that Love wants to share with you. God is not disappointed in you. Even the seasoned believer will find profound depth of healing in this message of uncontainable Love as expressed through Catherine’s unique, rich flavor. It is so chock full of joy nuggets and selah moments that are so desperately needed in this world right now. Whatever you do, don’t rush through this book. It is meant to be enjoyed and savored slowly. And don’t be surprised if you find yourself buying copy after copy to replace “your” copy that you somehow keep giving away to those you wish to bless. – D. Winns
Today, choose to live from God’s pleasure. Choose to walk as one who is already approved, already loved, and already home in His heart. And then, let that love spill over to every person you encounter.
You already have His smile. You always will. 💗
Love, Catherine Toon